09/03/2026
Quarantine Day 2.
Lyra and Nova weigh less than 11 ounces. At their age, they should be 16 ounces. They are genuinely sick and lethargic, and I am worried they aren't strong enough to recover quickly enough to make it.
So let's talk about the thing no one wants to really talk about - gastrointestinal issues and diarrhea. You have been warned. Scroll away now. Also this may be long because I have alot to say.
100% of all kittens we take in have fleas, worms, and parasites. 100%. That means that at some point in time, we are going to deal with some form of really smelly p**p. Getting past the absolute sadness of this, it's usually treatable IF we get it solved in time. If we don't, we lose the kitten.
If they have fleas, we always assume tapeworms. Tapeworms attach themselves to the gut and absorb nutrients. This means kittens may eat, but don't get the nutrition they need, lose weight and generally decline. Also, it can cause, well, you know. P**p.
Added to that, they typically have roundworms or hookworms. Both can be passed in mother's milk. Hookworms cause anemia and roundworms sap nutrients. Again - can be fatal if left untreated.
And then we come to coccidia and giardia. Now these are microscopic, single-celled organisms known as protozoa that spread through f***s, and they are really tough to eradicate.
In this case, I have two kittens that have had fleas, worms, and coccidia (we may have miraculously escaped giardia). They are undernourished, anemic, and weak.
It's not that they don't respond to medication - they do. But we have seen kittens go through round after round after round of treatment (which can destroy all the good flora in their guts resulting in - what for it - more diarrhea!)
Since they spread through f***s AND it's microscopic kittens can continue to reinfect themselves by ingesting the spores that you can't even see. This is why the protocols have to be so strict. This is the protocol I follow:
1. Kittens need to be contained. Don't let them run around your house. You'll see they are in a little pen. They'll survive, trust me. But it also means I won't have microscopic giardia and coccidia spores tracked through my house, which can then infect the NEXT set of foster kittens.
2. Bedding should be completely washed (in hot water) and dried in the dryer daily. During quarantine, and until they are past diarrhea, you will see me changing their bedding every morning.
3. When they are in the midst of what will seem to be non-stop p**psplosions, change your clothes after handling them. Put them directly in the washer.
4. Butt baths (or whole body baths if needed) every day.
5. Completely change and sanitize the litterbox every day. You'll see I use cardboard lids that Hollywood Feed saves for us. I just pick it up and throw it out and start a new one every day - and honestly, sometimes twice a day. I also use peepads on the bottom of the pen - it all just gets replaced every day.
Is it alot? Absolutely. Is it worth it? So very worth it. The joy in watching kittens who are so very sick begin to recover and feel better is one of the greatest feelings in the world. A few days of grossness to save these little lives? Yep, I'll take that trade off every day of the year. Let's all hope they win the battle of time.
